Patentable/Patents/US-11214863
US-11214863

Method of controlling contamination of vapor deposition apparatus and method of producing epitaxial wafer

PublishedJanuary 4, 2022
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

A method of controlling contamination of a vapor deposition apparatus includes: a wafer loading step of loading a wafer for contamination evaluation into a chamber of the vapor deposition apparatus; a heat treatment step of heat treating the wafer for contamination evaluation at a heat treatment temperature of 1190° C. or more at a hydrogen flow rate of 30 slm or less; a wafer unloading step of unloading the wafer for contamination evaluation from the inside of the chamber; and a wafer contamination evaluation step of evaluating a level of metal contamination of the wafer for contamination evaluation. In a method of producing an epitaxial wafer, epitaxial growth is performed using a vapor deposition apparatus whose contamination is controlled by the contamination controlling method.

Patent Claims
8 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A method of controlling contamination of a vapor deposition apparatus, comprising: a wafer loading step of loading a wafer for contamination evaluation into a chamber of the vapor deposition apparatus; a heat treatment step of heat treating the wafer for contamination evaluation at a heat treatment temperature of 1190° C. or more at a hydrogen flow rate of 30 slm or less; a wafer unloading step of unloading the wafer for contamination evaluation from the inside of the chamber; and a wafer contamination evaluation step of evaluating a level of metal contamination of the wafer for contamination evaluation.

2

2. The method of controlling contamination of a vapor deposition apparatus, according to claim 1 , wherein the heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment step is 1250° C. or less.

3

3. The method of controlling contamination of a vapor deposition apparatus, according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen flow rate in the heat treatment step is 10 slm or more and 20 slm or less.

4

4. The method of controlling contamination of a vapor deposition apparatus, according to claim 1 , wherein the level of metal contamination is evaluated with respect to at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Mo, W, Ti, Nb, Ta, Cr, Ni, and Cu.

5

5. The method of controlling contamination of a vapor deposition apparatus, according to claim 4 , wherein the metal with respect to which the level of metal contamination is evaluated is Ti.

6

6. The method of controlling contamination of a vapor deposition apparatus, according to claim 5 , wherein the level of metal contamination with Ti is evaluated after obtaining an evaluation result of a level of metal contamination with Fe of 3×10 7 atoms/cm 2 or less.

7

7. A method of producing an epitaxial wafer, comprising performing epitaxial growth using a vapor deposition apparatus whose contamination is controlled using the method of controlling contamination according to claim 1 .

8

8. The method of producing an epitaxial wafer, according to claim 7 , wherein epitaxial growth is performed using the vapor deposition apparatus whose contamination is controlled so that Ti in the wafer for contamination evaluation, with respect to which the level of metal contamination is evaluated in the wafer contamination evaluation step is 1×10 7 atoms/cm 2 or less.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

December 4, 2018

Publication Date

January 4, 2022

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